Expectant
by SomethingtoNotice
Summary: Twenty year-old Chiara felt her whole existence crash upon her when her pregnancy test turned out positive. But to make matters worse, there's another problem. The father. Fem!Romano
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello! I decided to finally write out one of the ideas I had been musing over for a couple weeks. I hope you enjoy! It's different from anything I've ever written, but I hope you enjoy it!

Please read and review! Got a question? Feel free to PM me!

**Chiara: Fem!Romano**

**Alice("Ah-LEE-che"): Fem!Italy**

* * *

Chiara stared at the little white stick and almost threw up the rest of her lunch into the dirty toilet of her work place's bathroom. Just after her shift, she had decided to check…you know just be sure. Now she wished she didn't.

This couldn't be happening.

Two pink lines. Wasn't this supposed to be what every girl wanted to see?

But she couldn't help but stat to sob.

She was twenty. What was she going to do now?

What would her family say?

What would her friends say?

What would they do?

Did she have to tell them?

What is she going to do?

Chiara stayed in the stall for two hours, crying and cradling the pregnancy test.

The whole world had come crashing down on her in less than thirty minutes. She had expected something when she started throwing up in the morning. The mood swings, though that was fairly normal, Chiara was a rather moody individual to begin with, the slight weight gain? Nothing too unusual, her weight was something sporadic and ever changing. One day she was one hundred pounds, the next after two big plates of pasta she was one hundred and seven. But it was when she missed her time of the month for the second time that she really got scared.

And for right reason, after all she was now with child and all that crap.

Her cell phone started ringing. She ignored the ringing and curled even tighter; sitting on the toilet, bring her legs closer to her chest. But she knew she would have to get out soon, after all, it was rather lucky that one, no one had came looking for her or needed to use the bathroom. Slowly, she began to uncurl herself from the seat and looked at herself in the dingy mirror.

She looked awful.

Red-rimmed eyes, dark circles under them, complimenting her flushed cheeks with black mascara lines trailing down them. Turning on the cold water she splashed her face a couple times. Blinking away any lingering tears or visible signs of heartache, she unlocked the door and turned the knob.

As Chiara exited the restaurant, she took a left and began the walk back to the small apartment she shared with her sister, oh shit. What was Alice going to say? Would she even understand? The girl was always a little naive not to mention, while being a talented artist; she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Chiara regretted that she would eventually have to tell her, after all, there were living together. And while she can admit, she wasn't an exactly cuddly person, Alice brought out the softer side in her. Her and well…he didn't matter much anyway, did he? After he dumped her ass. But…oh fuck.

The father. Was she going to tell him? It seemed every time she turned the corner onto another block, Chiara found herself faced with another choice, another question to answer.

_What the hell was she even going to with the baby?_

She could get an abortion, no…they were messy and she didn't people getting on her back for what she wanted to do with her body.

Adoption was an option…but Chiara was finding herself tangled up in a web of possibilities as she unlocked the door of her apartment.

Closing the door softly behind her, she took off her Keds and hung her denim jacket up on its hook. Sniffing the air, she smelled the distinct smell of her sister's 'famous'

Marinara sauce.

"Alice! I'm home!" She called, trudging slowly through the yard long hallway that led to the kitchen.

"Chiara! I tried to call you earlier…you didn't pick up!" All Chiara could see was Alice's back as she presumably moved about the different pots on the stove.

"Sorry, uh, work ran a little late." She lied.

"Oh…okay! Dinner will be ready!" The girl chirped. She fucking chirped. Chiara swore she was a songbird in her past life.

"Fine…I have something…i-important to tell you." She stuttered out. Now or never, might as well get it over with.

"Can it wait 'til dinner? I'm a little busy Kiki!" Chiara sighed.

"Don't call me that. And yeah, sure…whatever." But how was she supposed to swallow something like that down? Just wait for the moment? It was swelling up inside her throat. She stomped to her room.

A queen bed sat in the middle of the small bedroom, a closet in the corner and oak desk sat snuggled again the wall next to the tiny balcony. Chiara remembered how she had fought viciously for the balcony…come to think about it, she hadn't gone out on it a while. To be honest, the view was pretty crappy. Just the back of a different apartment building, but she couldn't help but like it. It was a view and though it sucked worse than Alice's 'not' boyfriend's food, Chiara found that if she tried hard enough, she could pretend that she had a million dollar view that over looked her tomato fields that led to a ocean…idealistic, but everyone has to dream…right? So why shouldn't she splurge in her imagination. Reality so far was the fucking worst anyway.

"Kiki! Dinner!" A voice chimed in from the kitchen and Chiara sighed. Here went nothing. To be honest, here went everything.

They both served themselves some pasta and some sauce, Alice had more sauce on hers while Chiara had more pasta, and then the two sat down at their quaint three chair dinning table. Alice immediately went on about her day with 'Ludwig' and how it was fantastic while Chiara just played with her food…surprisingly, she wasn't hungry today…weren't expecting mothers supposed to never stop eating? Wow, she was going to be really bad at this pregnant thing…she could tell.

"So, Kiki, what do you want to tell me?" Alice suddenly said.

"Huh?" Chiara exclaimed, being pulled from her musings.

"What did you want to tell me earlier?"

"Oh…well…um…I…I don't remember." She lied.

"Yes you do! Don't give me that silly!" The younger girl giggled but Chiara wished she could tell her this was no laughing matter, in fact, it was the most serious thing she had ever had to deal with.

"Okay…well, this is a little hard to say and I'm not really sure about all the details yet…but…uh, wow this is really fucking difficult, but…um…Alice…what I'm trying to tell you is…. well, I'm…pregnant." Chiara felt tears prick up in her eyes. But she felt a little weight lift off of her already heavy feeling shoulders. Her sister stared her for a second processing the information.

"You're…what?" She finally asked.

"Pregnant, you know expecting, going to have a baby and all that shit."

"Chiara…why…how…what even-"

"I'm just as confused as you are…but I know how it happened and I regret it every second. I just found this afternoon." Tears were now quietly streaming down the older girl's face.

"…Well, I'm a little young to be an aunt, but I suppose it'll have to work…as long as I'm the cool relative! Oh I'll buy him or her really nice things and we can cook and nap together! Chiara this is wonderful!" Alice smiled brightly.

"R-Really?" She sniffled, wiping at her eyes. Thank God her sister was accepting as she was.

"Only if we make it…and if the father makes it too…speaking of which…who is the father?" Chiara only looked away, turning her head to avoid eye contact with her sister.

"It's him." She answered simply. Alice gasped. After all, he was the only one she had ever slept with and it made sense, since she trusted him enough and hadn't realized that the condom had apparently broken.

"But I thought, didn't it end like two months ago?"

"Then I guess I'm just two months along and didn't fucking realize it."

"Well, you do already sort of act like a pregnant woman year round."

"Hey! What the hell does that mean?" Chiara asked angrily.

"Nothing…don't worry about it." Alice chuckled. "So…are you going to tell him?" Chiara thought about her sister's question for a minute…would she tell him? What was the point? After all he was the one who left her and he wouldn't want all that responsibility just thrust upon him after they had been broken up for about two months and besides...as much as it broke her heart to think about it, he dating someone else at the moment.

"I'm not sure…still thinking about who to tell and what not." She shrugged offhandedly.

"Well, I'm sure he wouldn't mind having to raise a child and Francis is good with kids-"

"I'm not letting that boyfriend stealing bastard anywhere near my kid. I'm not even sure if I'm going to keep it yet!" Chiara bit back, bitterly placing a protective hand on her stomach. Alice's face became sullen.

"Why wouldn't you keep it?"

"Well for starters, school. I have to finish and get my degree…that should come first. I have to think about my future right now."

"But now you have to worry about two futures! Kiki, kids are responsibilities…why would you hand it over to someone else? After all, I know how much you like challenges." Chiara actually hated challenges. She liked things to be clean, simple, and easy to deal with. A baby? The literal opposite of those things.

"I just found out today, there's still time to decide before courses starts again in September. Ugh, thank God this didn't happen in fucking high school." Chiara placed a hand to her head. All of this talk made her get a headache. "Look, all we can do is schedule Doctor's appointments and make sure this whole fucking thing is handled smoothly as possible."

"Have you told Nonno yet?" Alice blurted out. Nonno was their grandfather and their legal guardian after their parents had died in a car crash when Chiara was three and Alice was two.

"I haven't. You're the first one." Chiara said quietly. It was then Alice jumped on her sister and enveloped her in a big hug.

"Congratulations Kiki." She whispered in Chiara's ear who just nodded and whispered back half hearted a thank you. Might as well make the nest of it anyway. As the embrace ended, Alice shuffled back to her seat opposite Chiara's, her cute little ponytail swishing ever so slightly. "So…what's next?"

"I'm not sure. Tell Nonno, tell whoever else. Oh…Alice can you do me a favor?"

"Sure! What is it?"

"Don't tell anyone else about this, it's my secret…okay?"

"Not even him? Or Ludwig?"

"_Especially _not them." Chiara rolled her eyes.

"Okay, it's your choice. I'll support whatever!"

"Thanks." She said simply. After all, Alice was the only one she wasn't terrified out of her skin to tell. Nonno would be hard, but he would come around she hoped but she most feared her friends' judgment. Would they care? Would they stay away? Cast her away? Call her names? Would they stand by her?

And then there was the question of…him. As much as she despised him for breaking her heart and making her act like she didn't give a damn, she didn't want him to have to have the satisfaction of her needing him. And didn't need the bastard frog tagging along either.

Yes, she would make sure that Antonio Fernandez Carriedo didn't find out he was the father if was the last thing she ever did.


	2. Chapter 2

The conversation with Nonno went better than expected in Chiara's opinion. At first, he was really confused asking her what she was going to do about it, to which she answered she didn't know. He had questioned about ten thousand different things at once about her plan and all she could say back was she didn't know. She could hear his breathing against the phone's microphone and she knew that he was laughing under his breath. Why the hell was he laughing?

The older man was literally a walking contradiction. He was about sixty and looked like he was about twenty-four, which annoyed his eldest granddaughter to no end. Of course, she was rather young looking herself, often being confused for a high school student who had gotten lost at a university tour when she spent time in the library.

The last thing he said was that he was too young and beautiful to be a great grandfather to which Chiara rolled her eyes and ended the phone conversation with a quick goodbye. A relieved sigh left her lips. Her Nonno was clearly a little uncomfortable with the situation, but he was okay enough of it to make a bad joke, which meant he wasn't too shaken. Which was a good sign, or at least Chiara hoped it was.

She needed a little bit of good luck more than anything at the moment.

Good luck and a little cash. Then again she had always needed a little cash. Everyone she knew needed a little bit of cash. Except Francis that goddamn rich bastard, always full of cash and perfectly timed charm that swept what was supposed to hers off his feet and into his French fucking toned arms. It just bugged her how people who were the scum of the earth had everything she wanted and Chiara couldn't do a thing about it.

Whatever.

She curled up tighter around her cell phone on her bed. It was still unmade and she hadn't bothered to get out of her pajamas, calling in sick to work and staying in her room staring at nothing. Why should she do anything? The world had dealt her a shit card so she wouldn't deal with the world. Simple as that.

A loud knock was heard from her bedroom door.

Of course the world had a way of making her deal with it. Goddamnit.

"Come in!" She groaned, not moving from the nest she had created out of her blue and green striped bed sheets.

"Kiki…you haven't left your room." Her sister's melodic voice filled the room but it sounded more like screeching to Chiara's ears.

"No shit." Chiara turned over to face Alice.

"Well…shouldn't you be at work?"

"Called in sick." Alice sighed, obviously frustrated.

"Can you at least get up?"

"Nope, no can do."

"Kiki! You are being impossible!" She whined and Chiara rolled her eyes.

"I'm allowed to be…remember? I'm preggers! Sucks to suck Alice." The girl at the door was close to fuming, which was amusing to her sister for, Alice rarely ever got mad and to work her up this easily was a treat.

"Just because you're…you know. Ex-"

"You can say pregnant, Alice. You won't offend anyone." Chiara said flatly, cutting her sister off.

"Look, Kiki…I'm sorry but you have to understand this is just a lot to process and it's all of sudden and…could you please just get out of bed?" Alice sighed.

"Fine." Chiara rolled off her nest and placed her bare feet upon the cold wood floor. "Ta da." She gestured at herself. Alice scoffed playfully before smiling.

"Get dressed. We're going for a walk."

"I don't want to!" Chiara scowled, crossing her arms a bit protectively.

"Well you don't have a choice. Come on! It'll be fun! I promise! We can go to the park we went to with Nonno when we were little."

Yes, they still lived in the same city they grew up in. Chiara had once dreamed up a world in which she lived somewhere exotic in a huge mansion, making lots of money, and taking business trips all over the world. However, fate hardly ever respects a five year old's half-thought through aspirations and her small two bedroom apartment she shared with her younger sister in the city she longed to leave, doing a shit job at managing a low paying job. And, she was pregnant without a proper plan to handle it.

She _loved_ her life.

But she had also loved that park as a child. And so in the spirit of what once was possible, Chiara started pushing her sister out she could get changed.

She picked something simple and not amazing put together. Jean shorts going to her mid thigh and a light blue tee shirt with the words '_Breathe Easy' _in black paint. Her auburn hair done up in an unintentionally messy bun, she slipped on her flip-flops and swung open her door.

Her sister was in the kitchen, wearing a pink sundress and sandals, tapping absentmindedly on the counter that adorned the white tiled room. She seemed not to have noticed Chiara entering and so she took this moment to watch her sister silently.

Alice was always moving, always doing something. It was rare that she had a quiet day and if she did, she spent it being productive which was sort of counter productive to the whole idea of having a quiet day in the first place. Alice was twenty different kinds of special. She had this ability to throw her affection towards and sob story and transforms them into the person they never thought they could be. Though not the brightest bulb in the box, her personality made up for her lack of smarts. Beautiful inside and out, with her caramel hair and warm brown eyes, and lips that curled upward on the right side, flawless complexion only completing the perfect picture that was Alice Marcella Vargas.

Chiara was the opposite of her younger sister, or she thought so at least. While Alice's frame was lithe, it was some how graceful and delicate, her sister was all long limbs and knobby knees. Freckles trailed down her jaw marring an otherwise suitable flawless face. She lacked the cute dimples her sister had picked up from years of almost never stopping laughter and smiles. Chiara's chocolate eyes often lacked the light of interest and innocence that Alice's always carried. And yet the two were often mistaken for twins even though they were a year apart. They looked almost like the same person from a different time period.

Alice was the girl who's future shone with vibrant colors and happiness abound.

Chiara was the woman who had discovered that the colors of world easily faded into blacks, whites and grays and there was not much you could do about it.

"Oh Kiki! I didn't notice you! We should get going, it's almost two!" She laughed as she turned her head to Chiara who merely nodded and walked towards the door. Alice skipped behind her and bounded passed her to the doorway. Opening the door, she slowed her pace, waiting for her sister to pass through before shutting the door and locking it behind her with a satisfying click sound. The twosome now walked side by side. It was quiet while they were in the elevator down to the lobby of their apartment building and it wasn't until they were on the street outside did Alice even attempt conversation.

"So…did you tell Nonno yet?" She asked and Chiara sighed in response. Did every fucking conversation she had have to be about the stupid baby? It was only a small…okay huge factor of her life! Chiara found herself surprisingly missing the days in which their walks were filled with talk of Ludwig, her sister's potato loving almost-official-but-not-really boyfriend.

"I did." She said shortly.

"Well…what did he say?"

"That he was too young to be a great grandfather." They turned the corner to where the sidewalk merged into the park. Alice giggled.

"Of course he would say that. Nonno is so funny."

"Yeah, he's fucking hilarious. A real riot." Chiara said dryly, wishing she had pockets big enough to dig her hands in.

"Kiki…you okay?" The younger sister sidestepped out of the way to avoid a woman and her stroller.

"What do you think?"

"I'm not sure…I'm not you after all." Damn Alice and her strange way of being deep enough for Chiara to want and spill all her secrets.

"I'm okay. Not fine, but okay. I'm handling it." She said confidently even though in her head she running through all the things she was not handling. Like the scheduling of doctor's appointments and the people she had yet to tell. She wanted to scream that she didn't even want to handle it. That the only thing she wanted to do was avoid the situation and not touch it with a hundred foot pole. But of course, she was Chiara Alessia Vargas and though she was losing everything including her sanity slowly but surely, she clung tightly to her pride.

"…You sure?" Chiara stopped, so Alice did as well. She faced her sister who sighed and looked back at her.

"Look, Alice. I'm really all right. It's tough and this whole fucking baby thing is really…difficult. But I'm pregnant. It's sort of a done deal and no I'm not completely okay with it, but I made a mistake. A big fucking mistake and now," Chiara placed a hand on her stomach. "I'm stuck with God knows what. But I need you to stop asking if I'm fucking okay every five seconds because I really want to tell you I am…but, right now…I'm not. I'm still coming to terms with this too." She let out a deep breath and Alice looked down sadly.

"I just want to help you." She said, her voice small, like a child who had been caught stealing a pastry.

"I know you do. I really appreciate that…um…thanks." Since childhood, Chiara had found it difficult to say please and thank you. She wasn't sure quite why, but it was just one of those things that bothered her even though it was thought common courtesy to say them on a regular basis. To get a polite word or phrase from the girl was almost like winning the lottery, though you didn't get to revel in the cash afterwards. It was a quick and then it was over, never to be ever discussed again.

"You know what? I'm going to be the bestest aunt in the whole world." Alice said determined. Chiara hit her on the arm playfully.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Auntie Alice."

"Oh I like the sound of that."

"You might not even get to hear the sound of that." After all, she hadn't decided whether or not to put the baby up for adoption yet.

"Hey Alice! Chiara!" The girls froze their conversation as an all too familiar voice came flooding in from direction their backs were facing. Turning slowly, Chiara felt dread and grief sink into the lower pits of her stomach.

After all, if there was one person she had been trying to avoid, it was her ex-boyfriend.

"What's up ladies?" Antonio smiled as he approached them. Of course he smiled. He was always smiling. A fucking bucket of sunshine and stardust that's what he was. Chiara scowled but didn't speak.

"Not much, just taking a walk!" Alice replied. Despite Chiara and Antonio's messy break up, Alice had remained on fairly good terms with the boy. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm on the way to Francis' apartment, we were going to hang out today." It almost as if the world enjoyed rubbing her failure of a relationship in her face, she wouldn't be surprised. The world seemed to be a fucking sadist when it came to her existence.

"Well that should be fun!" Alice continued to all the talking while Chiara just continued to stare off into space, determined to look at everything but the man in front of her.

"Yeah! I'm really looking forward to it. We've both been busy lately, I haven't seen too much of him." Chiara smirked slightly.

"Oh what a shame." She muttered softly as to be undetected by the people around her. Sadly, she had no such luck.

"What did you say Tiara?" Antonio asked.

Jesus Christ. He used that nickname. The one that literally made her blood boil every time she heard it. He had thought it was cute because it rhymed with her name and for a while, she didn't mind it. But now, it was literally the foulest word that had ever graced anyone's tongue. Especially his.

"I thought I told you to stop fucking calling me that." She said, her voice taking on a strangely professional and dangerously venomous tone.

"You did, but I still think it's cute!" Antonio smiled showing off his perfect and shiny teeth. Goddamnit.

"Well, I think it's shitty. " Antonio pouted and Alice frowned.

"Kiki, that wasn't very nice." She scolded.

"I wasn't trying to be nice, Alice let's go. I want to finish our walk." Every moment she spent around her former lover made her want to hurl and jump into his arms at the same time. Why the fuck did he still make her dizzy? Maybe it was the hormones talking. Yeah, she would blame it on that.

"But I want to talk to Antonio a little longer! Please? We haven't seen him in so long!" The younger girl whined and man nodded in agreement. Chiara sighed frustrated.

"Fine, but I'm leaving and remember Alice. Not a word." Alice nodded in agreement, using her finger to lock her mouth and throw away the key.

"Not a word about what?" Antonio asked innocently.

"Nothing dumbass." With that, Chiara stalked away, keeping a furious pace away from her sister and ex-boyfriend.

As she turned the corner, she felt tears spring up in her eyes. Sitting down on a park bench, Chiara let them fall freely. What was the use of being strong if she had no one to impress? The answer was none. So she cried for about the millionth time that week, cursing her weakness and inability to cope.

* * *

Thank you to all those you reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! I hope chapter didn't disappoint.

I felt like there needed to be a little insight into Alice and Chiara's relationship and the way Chiara looked at herself compaired to her little sister so I hope I did the subject justice!

Please continue to read and review!

Have a question? Feel free to PM me!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey thank you for all the support!

It means a lot to me.

Okay so names.

Amelia-Fem!America

Emma-Beligum

* * *

Chiara sat on the bench for at least ten minutes before wiping at her eyes and rose slowly to her feet and started to walk. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she honestly didn't care at the moment. Why should she? Why the fuck should she care about anything anymore?

No one seemed to give a shit about her.

Not Nonno, nor Alice, or any of her friends.

Perhaps she was just being over dramatic but she couldn't help but think that the world had deserted her for someone more suited for happiness. Not that she blamed it all that much.

Sure, it hurt.

Everything hurt and it would continue to hurt.

But thus is life and while she might hate every waking moment, she had to deal.

It wasn't just her she was looking after anymore.

There was Nonno and all his awfully timed perverse jokes, Alice's refreshing innocence and open eyes, her friends' laughter and joy, and now…this unborn baby.

Well, shit.

Chiara was starting to realize that it might be good to get her life together. She was mess through and through. She chuckled darkly to herself, remembering that she was in public and walking down one of the numerous cobblestone paths that the park had to offer. However, as she once again became aware of her surroundings, she noticed that she was completely and utterly confused. Where the fuck was she?

Her and her sister had only ever walk the north section of the park, the nearest to their apartment building, but now she was in what she assumed was the southern section.

It was dirty, less crisp, and a little more worn down than it's northern counterpart. The people looked different too. Everyone from Chiara's section of the park looked like they had somewhere in the next five seconds, while this side of the park still the rushing effect, it seemed almost calmer, in a sullen, quiet way.

Chiara stopped walking and took in her surroundings. Breathing in the strangely dusty air, which climbed up her throat and made her begin coughing.

When she finished, Chiara became aware of a woman's robust laughter coming from just behind her. She whipped around, ready to give whoever who was laughing at her a piece of her mind. "What's so goddamn funny?"

The girl with curly blonde hair that cut off right belong her ears was sitting on a park bench behind her. She was holding a cigarette almost carelessly between her fingers, letting the smoke fill the air, like she had year of practice, which was odd to Chiara because the girl looked no older than twenty. Her clothing was also strange. A leather aviator's jacket hung off her shoulders, almost cloaking her jean shorts and white tank top. Everything about the girl screamed cool and a 1950-esque feel.

And it pissed Chiara off.

"I'm sorry-it's just, you're definitely not from around here."

"And how are you so sure?" Chiara placed a hand defiantly on her hip.

"Well, for one thing, you don't look the part. Second, you started coughing." The girl laughed again. Chiara felt her blood boil.

"Would you stop laughing?" She snapped. The girl stopped and turned her head away, taking a puff of her cigarette, obviously relishing in the smoke that poured out of her mouth. Chiara fidgeted, uncomfortable. "Those things will kill you, you know." The girl turned back and smiled almost sarcastically.

"You sound like my boyfriend. He's got such a stick up his ass." Chiara scoffed.

"Believe me, I know the type."

"Yeah, well, he means okay and all but he doesn't really get it." Another drag and she exhaled more smoke. Chiara just stared. "You want a puff? You look like you need it." The girl held the smoking cigarette out to Chiara, who considered it-briefly then shook her head.

"Sorry, not really my thing right now."

"Are you joking? This thing is relaxing. Relaxation is everyone's thing." The girl motioned for Chiara to sit down beside her on the…and to her own amazement, she did.

"I know, and maybe a different time, I would take you up on it. Believe me, I'm so fucking stressed out right now."

"College and all that shit?" The girl asked, seeming genuinely concerned about a total stranger. Chiara hesitated.

"Something a bit bigger."

"Dude, whatever it is, this will make is seem a little less…big or something." The girl again offered the cigarette.

"No." Chiara reaffirmed and the girl shrugged. The cigarette wouldn't be good for the baby and while she could admit, she wanted to take a drag, just to…try it out and all, sometimes things were bigger than her desire for a few minutes of painlessness…which was quite a painful realization.

"You're probably doing the better thing anyway. After all, they can kill and all that shit. What's your name anyway?" Another puff of the cigarette and girl blew the smoke in the direction facing away from Chiara.

"Why the fuck do you want to know?" She asked, suddenly on the defensive.

"Whoa, dude, just curious." The blonde held up her hands in mock surrender.

"Okay…it's Chiara. What's yours?"

"Amelia. Amelia Jones." Amelia held out a hand. "It's a pleasure, I'm sure." Chiara rolled her eyes and ignored the hand. The name sounded familiar, like something she had heard at Gilbert's parties she and Antonio had attended when they were still an item. She remembered that the French asshole would be teasing someone about an Amelia but…she wasn't sure whom exactly. "So…tell me, Chiara. What's this big issue that a cigarette couldn't solve?" The girl in question was pulled out of her musings and raised an eyebrow.

"Again, why the fuck do you want to know?"

"Not sure, exactly, people say I'm a good shrink and no offense, I meant it when I said you looked like you could've used a drag."

"It's hard to explain…." Chiara felt strangely compelled to tell Amelia everything, like she was dam about to flood some innocent town and she needed to let go of some pressure.

"I've got time." Amelia smiled cheekily.

"Well…you see, I'm…pregnant and it's my ex's since he's the only one I've ever slept with." Wow, that was simpler than expected. Usually it took her a straight minute to figure out what the fuck she was going to say.

"Oh…well, that's a doozy." Amelia let out a low whistle.

"I'm not done. He's also in a different relationship right now…" Chiara took a deep breath. "With a boy."

"That's even more…interesting." Amelia said, throwing her cigarette on the ground and smearing it into the pavement with the toe her boot.

"But like, I've decided not to tell him. Everything ended badly and how the fuck would his stupid French boyfriend react because the dumbass always had the fucking sense of entitlement and like I really don't want his help, because he's done enough damage and I don't want to fucking have to deal with it. Plus his boyfriend is a total douche and I don't want to have to share my ex with him just because of a baby. I don't want to have anything to do with either of them. " Chiara blurted out.

"Wait…wait…French boyfriend? Would his name happen to be Francis?" Amelia asked, suddenly even more invested.

"Yeah…why? Do you know the asshole?"

"He's my boyfriend's best friend! Well, they wouldn't admit it, but it's pretty damn obvious." And all of a sudden, everything clicked. Boyfriend with a stick up his ass and the French bastard's teasing of someone about a girl named Amelia."

"You're Arthur's girlfriend." Chiara said slowly, the consequences of her actions beginning to dawn on her.

"Yup!"

"You and crumpet boy?" She asked.

"He's not all that bad, he's actually a big softy." Amelia didn't seem to realize what was wrong.

"Amelia, you can't tell anyone what I told you. It's a secret okay?"

"Sure, my lips are sealed."

"I mean it. No one. Not even crumpet boy."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Chiara let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm afraid, 'crumpet boy' might find out anyway." A British accent spilt through the air like ice and Chiara's head shot up to a little down the path way where a boy with thick black eyebrows and unruly blonde hair stood, holding a bouquet of flowers.

"What the fuck? How long have you been listening?" Chiara jumped up and Amelia followed in suit.

"Oh long enough, Chiara." He said coldly.

"Oh…Artie, are those flowers for me?" Amelia added awkwardly.

"Yes, but right now we have bigger issues." He turned to Chiara."You're pregnant?"

"Maybe." She shrugged. Arthur sighed frustrated.

"I literally overheard your whole conversation so don't be smart. You're pregnant."

"Yes. Yes I am."

"With who's child exactly?"

"Didn't you hear all of that?" Chiara bitterly asked.

"No, actually I missed that part, I'm not a hound. I cannot actually heard whispers." He rolled his eyes.

"Then you don't need to know." Chiara inwardly sighed with relief.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"My family knows, and to be honest, we aren't fucking best chums or anything so forgive me for not wanting to spread it around."

"Your friends would want to know." Arthur lamented.

"Stay out of my fucking business." Chiara stepped back.

"They can help you!"

"I don't need help!"

"Yes you do!"

"Artie…please." Amelia stepped between the two.

"Amelia, not now please." Arthur seemed like a man on a mission. "Chiara, you need to tell everyone."

"No! Fuck you!" Chiara yelled back.

"It's a big deal, they would want to know…wouldn't you?"

"Maybe, but it would be their business, not mine." Chiara tried to walk past Arthur, who side stepped to block her.

"If you don't tell anyone, I will."

"It's not your secret to tell, now get the fuck out my face." She turned to Amelia who looked conflicted. "Nice meeting you." She pushed by Arthur and to jog away.

"Fine, have it your way. Everyone will know by tomorrow morning!" He called after her. She didn't even turn around when she flashed him the bird.

Chiara didn't stop jogging until she was safely back in her apartment with the door slamming behind her as she entered her room. Turned out, the park wasn't that hard to navigate and her trip home was quick and easy.

She rolled into bed, not bothering to change and slowly but surely, lulled herself to an uneasy rest.

The next morning she awoke to the sound of her phone going off. Groggily, she checked her phone, and saw that she had thirty-eight unread texts was from Emma. The last on read:

'_Chiara! answer me already! what the actual fuck, y didn't u tell me?' _

Chiara felt a migraine rolling in.

She was going to murder that fucking crumpet.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

It was truly amazing, Chiara assumed, the fact that Emma and everyone she happened to be acquainted with, took the unexpected news so well. Some of them anyway. Others had sent her messages saying 'slut' or 'whore', which to be honest, she was expecting. Which in some way, made them hurt less. Hey, at least it wasn't a surprise. She was learning to hate surprises.

It was about nine in the morning, she had already thrown up twice and Alice was still asleep, since it was a Sunday and thus she didn't get up until it was twelve, or in other words…time to go to Church. Oh yeah…Church.

Could she still go to church?

Would she be able to go to church?

Sure, it wasn't as if God would rain fires upon the heavens if she suddenly one day showed up. No, that really wasn't his style. He preferred punishment in ways that you couldn't just look up and curse his name…because the pain you received…was your fault.

A not unknown wave of guilt flooded her blood stream. The gravity of certain situations often escaped Chiara. Like when her parents died, she didn't understand. All she had wanted was a milkshake. God damn it, she wanted a milkshake now. Fucking pregnancy hormones.

Chiara shook off the comforter and slowly trudged through the open doorway of her bedroom that led to the kitchen. She then made her way to the freezer, intent on actually getting her ice cream. Still in her sleepy haze, Chiara grabbed around the icebox for the sugary treat, hoping desperately that Alice hadn't gotten hungry the night before. Successfully locating it, she sat the mint ice cream down on the counter. She then took to scoping it into the only slightly broken blender and then pouring the remainder of their milk in as well. Sighing contentedly, she topped everything off with the blender's lid and turned it on, knowing only a few seconds of loud noise stood between her and the blender….

Well that and who ever decided to knock on her door at nine in the fucking morning. Chiara ignored the sound, focusing more on the ideal of ice cream. But the knocking persisted. Annoyed, she turned off the blender and marched over to the door. Huffing, she opened it.

"Just what the fuck do you want-" Chiara began, ready to let her morning interrupter have it.

"Good morning Tiara!" Of fucking course, it was the man of the hour himself. Antonio just had to interrupt her life and cause as much trouble and chaos as possible. Well, nope. Not today. She had strayed from her milkshake long enough.

"Nope." And with that, she promptly shut the door in the man's face.

Trotting back to her milkshake, Chiara pressed the button for a few more seconds and then again turned it off. Grabbing one of her cups from the top shelf of their cup-cupboard. She poured the deliciously minty smelling drink. Ah yes. It was now time for relaxation. Another more urgent knock came from the door along with a muffled voice, but Chiara wasn't actually paying attention. All that was going through her head was frothy and minty and it was glorious. Alice came into the kitchen, wiping at lethargic eyes.

"Morning, what's that?" She greeted, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl.

"A milkshake." Chiara answered, sipping away.

"Is that one of your cups?" Alice was really anal about cups for some reason. It was weird, considering how she didn't mind sharing anything else.

"Uh-huh."

"Okay then." The girl pealed at her banana when another thumping at the doorway came. "Who's that?"

"Don't bother." Chiara really just wanted to enjoy her drink, after all, she was almost done…a few more seconds of a quiet existence….

"Oh Antonio! What are you here for?" And fuck it.

"Alice…can you not-" Chiara turned the corner, drink in hand and stopped suddenly, cursing her limbs for their inability to walk forward. Why did she still feel like this every time she saw him? Chiara was _over_ him. She had been going on other dates with people, sure all of them sucked, but there were dates! And he…he had a fucking boyfriend! Why the fuck did her heart feel like jumping out of her chest and into the embrace of the Spanish speaking asshole of an ex?

"Tiara! It's good to see you! Why did you close the door on me? That was mean!" Antonio whined, coming into the apartment, Chiara felt her sanctuary being breached.

"I was making a milkshake fucker. What do you want?" She said, again sipping at her drink.

"A milkshake? At nine in the morning?" He looked puzzled.

"It's my fucking life."

"Kiki! Be nice." Alice hissed from the corner of the hallway, opposite the Spanish devil.

"Nope." There was a moment of silence that was only broken by the occasional gulps of shake. As she finished, she slammed the cup on the counter.

"Alright, Antonio. Why the hell are you here?" The usually confident man shuffled.

"Um, Francis and I wanted to invited you and Alice over for dinner tonight."

"No." She barked, crossing her arms. Antonio looked at Alice helplessly.

"I think it would be fun Kiki!" The young girl tried.

"Not really how I would spend my evening, sorry…you know what? No I'm not. I'm not going to go." Chiara turned away to the sink, grabbing the cup and all but tossing it in.

"Well…at least think about it, text me your answer, but I've got to go. Hopefully I'll be seeing you two for dinner!" The man nodded his head towards the sisters and then exited. Alice immediately turned her head to her sister.

"We are going." She said firmly. Chiara shook her head. Alice rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. The sweet girl could be quite devious when she wanted to be, though no one took her older sister's word for it.

"No…we're not."

"Fine, then I'll go alone…but I'll get awful scared. Francis is quite touchy feely…you know what I mean." Chiara sighed heavily; she realized then, that she didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. She never really did.

"What about church?" She said, defeated.

"I'm sure God will forgive us if we don't go one time." Alice smiled brightly. "I'll go text Antonio right now!" With that, the girl skipped down the hallway back to her bedroom. Chiara exhaled.

She needed another milkshake. Never mind that, a bottle of wine. Oh wait, scratch that brilliant idea.

"This fucking baby is ruining my life." She groaned, grabbing the carton of mint ice cream out of the freezer and then taking a spoon. Dragging her feet against the floor, she made her way to the slightly worn down couch and assumed the fetal position around the container of dessert. "You're my only true friend." She whispered to the carton as she ate a huge spoonful.

Later that day, Alice emerged from her room, wearing a cute baby pink blouse-like tank top and skinny jeans that showed off her figure. Chiara was currently napping on the couch.

"Why aren't you dressed yet? We're leaving in thirty." Chiara awoke and looked up at her sister with the eye contact only mastered by years of patience and lack of space from other people.

"I'm not dressed yet, because I was asleep." She said simply in response.

"Oh…well then go Kiki!" Alice made come hither movements and slowly, Chiara got off the couch.

"I'll get ready when I want." She mumbled sleepily, heading back to her room.

"Wear something nice!" Her sister called out after her.

"No promises!" She called back, and to be completely truthful, she wasn't really feeling the whole getting nice and dressed up. Grumbling, she searched through her closet for something to wear. Not top causal, she didn't want to seem like a slob and not too fancy, she didn't want to seem like she was trying too hard. Settling on a simple green and white polka dotted sundress and a denim jacket, she sat on her bed and reveled in the unpredictable tides of her certainly…interesting circumstances

In the movies, the ex-boyfriend always asks the girl back out for dinner and she says know because she has found else who appreciates her for her and not whatever else. The sad thing was, Antonio was the guy who had appreciated her. The ex-boyfriend in this case…well, he didn't really matter. The son of a bitch was an asshole. An asshole that made a mistake…one she understood. So regretfully, she didn't dislike him as much as she claimed to dislike Antonio. Though deep, deep, and beyond her darkest desires Chiara knew she would never actually hate Antonio.

After all, how could you hate the boy who told you he loved you for whatever you did and whatever you were? Then again, how you love the boy who said all of this and still walked away.

Chiara hugged her stomach tighter, a reflex by now. She wasn't sad, per say…just upset.

If only hearts were bones in the body, then we would have an excuse to cry when they break.

"Kiki are you done? Let's go!" Alice's cheery voice cut through her less than chipper thoughts. Chiara stood up, brushing off her dress.

"I'm coming! Hold your stupid horses!"

As the two of them exited the apartment, Chiara turned to her sister.

"Remember Alice, not a word about…you know what to Antonio or the Frenchy. Okay?" Her tone was urgent and her sister batted the elder's shoulder playfully.

"My lips are sealed."

"Good." Chiara sighed. "Time for dinner with the devil I suppose."

"Oh stop Kiki. Antonio isn't that bad."

* * *

Author's note: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I cannot express my thanks enough to all those who have supported this story of mine.

Hopefully you all like this chapter! I'm not really sure how well it turned out as it was only a stepping stone chapter until the next big plot event...

Stay tuned!

Please continue to Read and Review!


	5. Chapter 5

The apartment wasn't bad.

Sleekly decorated, with random splashes of color that Chiara assumed was Antonio's doing. As hung up her purse, she followed her sister into the kitchen to see what was going on. She hated to admit it, but dinner smelled really good.

Antonio and Alice where blabbering away about some worthless topic in the corner. So Chiara had no choice but to focus her eyes on the man at the stove.

Even from the back, Francis was an attractive man. His shoulder blonde hair was tied back with a brown hair tie gave him a feminine but graceful appeal and when he turned his porcelain head to her politely and greeted Alice with a huge grin, she could see just why Antonio was attracted to the man.

He was sophisticated, well rounded, and all the while being playful, fun, and romantic.

What was she?

Nothing but a boring, rude, and apathetic who's greatest misfortune was growing inside her and there was hardly a thing she could do.

"Dinner is ready!" Francis declared, his French accent covering every syllable in sticky syrup, drawing the words as if he was creating a masterpiece.

Chiara felt like she was going to be sick.

While sitting down, she decided to sit between Francis and Alice, believing that she was choosing the less of two evils. Wine was poured and she didn't deny it though she didn't attempt to reach for it and Alice locked eyes with her and winked.

Dinner was simple lemon chicken and salad, nothing complicated and yet it was exotic.

Chiara really liked it.

But of course she picked at the food, lips remaining pursed, not engaging in the conversation going around about her.

She was under extreme protest after all and while she understood her sister's intentions, she didn't understand why Alice would think this would be a good idea!

It was one-and-twenty-five percent a bad idea.

"So Chiara…how are your studies going?" Francis asked, suddenly turning the girl sitting next him, with a graceful smirk. Chiara wanted to punch it right off his smug face.

"You would like to fucking know." She answered, stabbing into a piece of chicken and plopping it unceremoniously in her mouth. Alice's mouth twitted before she frowned.

"Kiki! Come on." She whined but her elder sister stayed silent, eating the chicken dramatically.

"They are what they are." Chiara finally bit out and Francis smiled in response.

"That wasn't too hard, now was it?"

"You have no fucking idea how hard I want to hit you right now." The girl answered calmly, holding her fork in a vice grip.

"So, Chiara, you haven't touched your wine." Antonio cut in, to save the room from the destruction of an angry ex-girlfriend. "I know it's your favorite." Of course he knew her favorite wine. Date night always had her favorite wine followed by a drunk Chiara playing lovingly with Antonio's hair while whispering sappy shit in his ear. She often wondered if those nights were what had made her and Antonio stick together as long as they did.

"Not in the mood tonight." She answered evenly, trying to know get worked up as to keep her secret, her secret.

"So it is true." Francis chuckled, sipping at his wine.

"What's true?" Chiara whipped her head a little too fast towards the Frenchman. Alice twirled her hair nervously chattering to Antonio who was focused on his boyfriend and ex-girlfriend's exchange, preparing to contain any sparks that would fly up.

"That well, you know." He said vaguely, Chiara felt her cheeks heat up as anger seeped through her veins.

"I don't think I do. What are you talking about?" Alice's chattering increased in volume a little, she was realizing the error in judgment she had made in bringing her sister here and now was trying to fix things.

"That you're well…pregnant. Congratulations are in order, I suppose."

Nine words had brought Chiara's life crashing down again.

Arthur had known. Arthur was Francis' best friend.

Fuck.

There went every chance of secrecy. Silence rang over the table and even Alice couldn't find something to say. Chiara stole a glance at Antonio, who was staring down his plate as if had all the answers.

"You're…pregnant." The Spanish man finally said after five minutes of being quiet. And Chiara lost it.

She slammed her hands on the table, spilling the wine over the fancy tablecloth and stormed out. Leaving her sister to pick of the pieces of the secret that wasn't Francis' to tell.

She ran through the streets blindly, not really caring where she was going so long as it was far fucking away. Chiara stopped when her breathing became so hard that it was difficult to move forward. When that happened, she sunk onto the sidewalk, tear hot on her cheeks.

How did everything go from wrong to the worse possible thing in the whole world?

Chiara thought at first it was bad luck, she had never been lucky, but now…it was like the world had a personal vendetta against her.

Ready to crush her spirit to the point that her pride was crumbling under the pressure.

"Well what are the odds? Chiara Vargas? Is that you?" The girl looked up through red-rimmed eyes.

A man with olive skin in a long coat and looked down at her and offered a hand. She took it and used to bring herself up face to face.

"Sadiq." Chiara said simply in response to his question. Wow, how many ex-boyfriends did she have to deal with today?

"How've you been?" She wasn't in the mood for small talk.

"Do you know?" Chiara asked suddenly. Sadiq's pleasant nature changed a little.

"I assume you mean about your pregnancy. Which that case, I do."

"Do you know how many people know?"

"A lot, but not too much." He was vague, but informative enough. That summed the two's bring romance entirely. Chiara had trouble remembering all the details of her fling with the now twenty-seven year old, but she did remember the break up. It was one of her less disastrous ones. They both decided that it was time to end it. Though Chiara was the one to initiate it. She had found her heart wandering to others and had decided it wasn't fair to Sadiq, even though he was sort of a rich boy asshole.

But hey, she was an asshole too. Maybe if she hadn't stopped it, they would've gotten married and had asshole children to infect the world with.

"I assume its Antonio's?" Chiara looked taken aback.

"How the fuck do you know that?" She said defensively landed a hand over her stomach.

"You were in love. You wouldn't have cheated on him. You looked at him the way I looked at you." That hurt, Chiara sneered, contorting her face.

"Why the fuck are you still talking to me?" She asked harshly.

"Because…I have a proposition. I think it'll help both of us." She looked at his eyes, determined to tell if man was lying.

All she could see was sincerity and it made her expression soften.

"What is it?" She whispered.

"If you-" The man started but was cut off by a girl's voice calling out for Chiara's name.

"Chiara! Is that you?" Alice's voice rang out through the night. "I'm sorry Chiara! Let me fix this!" She sounded like she was crying. Leave it to her little sister to get upset about her problems, it was annoying, but endearing.

"Here." Sadiq handed her a slip of paper with a phone number on it. When did he have time to write something down? "Call me when you're ready to talk." He then did something that surprised her.

He kissed her cheek and then continued to walk in the opposite direction of Chiara's incoming sister.

Stranger still, she found herself not minding all that much. It was...appreciated.

Jesus Christ, Lord above, she was going crazy.

"What the fuck." Chiara mumbled, facing her sister who embraced her upon meeting up.

"I'm so sorry!" The younger girl cried into her sister's shoulder. Chiara just patted her shoulder awkwardly.

"It's um, okay."

What a tangled web was being weaved.

* * *

Don't worry! Antonio is not the bad guy!

Thank you to all those who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed! I love you all and really hope you are enjoying the story.

I'm also sorry for any inaccuracies I may have written about and I assure you I'm trying to as to be as truthful as I can be in my writing.

Thank you again!

Please continue to read and review!


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